MASAGASCAR!
I left for Madagascar on Thanksgiving, and spent approximately 1.5 weeks running around in a 4x4 chasing down specimens. Of particular note are 2 new finds of topaz--for a country with so many gem pegmatites, the mineral is oddly rare in Madagascar. There was also an interesting new find of titanite-- the crystal below is certainly one of the largest I have seen. Also, though not especially fine, the most unexpected thing I encountered on the trip was a tiny vivianite thumbnail...
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MLID02 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
1.7x 1.6x 0.95 cm
$135
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MSR01 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
7.8x 3.1x 2.5 cm
MSR02 Titanite var. Sphene
Vohémar District, Sava Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar
13.6x 7.5x 1.1 cm
$5600
MSR03 Tourmaline
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
5.1x 5.3x 3.5 cm
$2000
MSR04 Topaz
Topaz locality, Andilamena District, Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
6.1x 3.6x 2.3 cm
$1600
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MSR05 Topaz
Topaz locality, Andilamena District, Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
6.2x 3.8x 2.4 cm
$1600
MSR06 Topaz
Topaz locality, Andilamena District, Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
4.0x 3.8x 2.7
$800
MSR07 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite on Smoky Quartz
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
6.1x 3.6x 2.7 cm
$1350
MSR08 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite on Smoky Quartz
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
8.7x 7.8x 4.1 cm
$1400
MSR09 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite on Smoky Quartz
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
9.0x 7.8x 6.5 cm
$900
MSR10 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Tsarafara, Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
3.8x 3.5x 3.3 cm
MSR11 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
6.1x 3.3x 3.7 cm
$1200
MSR12 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
10.1x 4.3x 3.1 cm
MSR13 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
5.4x 4.0x 1.8 cm
$400
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MSR14 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
6.1x 6.0x 3.3 cm
$425
MSR15 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
7.7x 3.5x 1.9 cm
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MSR16 Topaz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
6.9x 2.8x 2.7 cm
MSR18 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.7x 2.0x 2.2 cm
MSR20 Titanite var. Sphene
Vohémar District, Sava Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar
6.4x 3.9x 0.8 cm
$395
MSR21 Titanite var. Sphene
Vohémar District, Sava Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar
4.6x 2.7x 0.5 cm
$250
MSR22 Hambergite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.4x 2.0x 0.5 cm
$400
MSR23 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.3x 2.2x 4.0 cm
$360
MSR24 Tourmaline
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.4x 2.9x 1.6 cm
MSR25 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.9x 1.5x 0.9 cm
MSR26 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite on Smoky Quartz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
8.7x 4.5x 3.2 cm
$365
MSR27 Tourmaline
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.8x 2.0x 3.3 cm
$170
MSR29 Beryl var. Heliodor
Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
3.6x 3.4x 2.4 cm
$385
MSR30 Beryl var. Heliodor
Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
2.0x 1.45x 1.25 cm
MSR32 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
5.9x 4.2x 3.0 cm
$185
MSR33 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
5.3x 2.9x 2.2 cm
$135
MSR34 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
2.8x 2.0x 1.7 cm
$85
MSR36 Quartz
Antetezambato, Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar
8.4x 8.6x 2.5 cm
MSR37 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.5x 3.3x 2.1 cm
$385
MSR38 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.6x 4.4x 3.6 cm
$275
MSR39 Tourmaline
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
6.7x 4.4x 2.8 cm
$185
MSR40 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.8x 4.2x 3.0 cm
$145
MSR41 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.2x 1.5x 1.45 cm
MSR44 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.8x 1.0x 0.7 cm
MSR45 Tourmaline
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.6x 1.2x 0.85 cm
$175
MSR47 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.7x 1.5x 1.2 cm
$150
MSR49 Corundum var. Ruby
Ihosy Dist., Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar
3.5x 2.8x 0.9 cm
MSR52 Chrysoberyl
Tsitondroina, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
8.5x 5.3x 4.5 cm
MSR53 Chrysoberyl
Tsitondroina, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
4.0x 5.2x 3.3 cm
MSR55 Quartz var. Amethyst
Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
3.0x 1.9x 1.7 cm
MSR56 Garnet
Soavinandriana Dist., Itasy Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
7.1x 3.2x 2.7 cm
$135
MSR61 Samarskite
Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.4x 1.9x 1.2 cm
MSR62 Monazite
Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.0x 1.8x 0.7 cm
MSR64 Monazite
Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.5x 1.4x 0.65 cm
MSR65 Spinel
Ihosy Dist., Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar
3.7x 3.6x 2.9 cm
$135
MSR66 Hematite
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
5.1x 4.0x 3.1 cm
$85
MSR67 Fluorite
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
7.1x 5.7x 5.5 cm
MSR68 Aegirine
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
4.8x 2.8x 1.9 cm
$85